PETALING JAYA. Nov 5 — Malaysia should make technology choice for investors an explicit part of its 5G policy, with safeguards that preserve genuine alternatives when network owners or suppliers change, says an analyst.

Samirul Ariff Othman of Global Asia Consulting said having two operators did not automatically guarantee different supplier ecosystems or prevent both networks from becoming dependent on the same critical suppliers.

“Malaysia should make meaningful supplier diversity and the ability to change suppliers' explicit objectives of its 5G policy,” said Samirul.

His comments follow Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal’s call on Oct 22 for Malaysia to retain Western and Chinese technology options.

Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) uses Ericsson equipment, while U Mobile appointed Huawei and ZTE for its second network.

Samirul said Ministerial Direction No. 7 of 2025 directed the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to support the dual-network model, including spectrum arrangements and service continuity, but did not itself require a permanent East-West supplier split.

MCMC’s licensing guidelines describe licences as technology- and service-neutral, although individual licences may carry special conditions.

Samirul said he had not identified an explicit, binding requirement in public material guaranteeing distinct supplier ecosystems through future changes, but this did not establish that no safeguard existed.

Operator-specific licence conditions, spectrum conditions or undertakings needed confirmation from MCMC, he said.

“The government should identify the applicable instrument, the obligation it creates and how compliance is enforced,” he said.

He warned that dependence on the same critical suppliers could expose both networks to common software vulnerabilities, supply disruptions or restrictions on technical support.

Samirul proposed a published policy backed by licence or spectrum conditions, procurement requirements and continuing oversight, with obligations applying to both operators and approved successors.

Major ownership, supplier or network-sharing changes that substantially increased common dependence should undergo resilience assessments, while routine purchasing remained a management responsibility, he said.

He said procurement should address security, compatibility, long-term support and credible arrangements for switching suppliers, while implementation must respect existing contracts and allow reasonable transition periods.

“Supplier nationality alone cannot establish whether a network is secure or sufficiently independent,” he said.

He also proposed periodic reporting and fair access to both networks for eligible wholesale customers.

Farlina Said of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia said reliable access and service continuity should take priority.

“Diversification is helpful to reduce risks of single points of failure,” she said.

While not recommending a specific regulatory mechanism, Farlina said commercial technology choices might need to account for differing cybersecurity requirements across industries and supply-chain partners for Malaysia to attract international businesses.

Samirul acknowledged that no policy could prevent every future government from changing direction, but published obligations, consultation and parliamentary scrutiny would make continuity more dependable and changes more accountable.